Research Projects

Dr. Uban’s primary study is entitled, “Assessing Stable Characteristics of Endocrine Function Among Boys and Girls with Prenatal Alcohol Exposure as a Novel Clinical Tool” (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (K01AA026889)). This study is focused on determining central brain regions mediating endocrine function, and alterations in peripheral endocrine function among human adolescents affected by prenatal alcohol exposure. The proposal bridges multi-modal neuroimaging and salivary bioscience approaches to investigate endocrine alterations as a potential mechanism underlying, in part, increased propensity for mental health problems among adolescents with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD).  To do so, parallel analyses are occurring from two distinct cohorts: one based in the United States (ABCD Study) and the other based in Cape Town, South Africa (PASS Network, Neuroimaging R01).

Congratulations to CNLM Fellow, Kristina Uban, final recipient of UCI’s Conte Center’s 2021 Seed Grant